‘Lamani tribe abused in Goa’

FACTS & FIGURES
‘Lamani tribe abused in Goa’
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: The Lamani (nomadic tribes or Bhanjaras from Karnataka) children in Goa are not exploited in massage parlours or in homes for children, but in tourism-related businesses that provides them with an opportunity to tout for various sex services.
They not only interact with foreigners, but also have ‘live-in’ relationships and work as domestic help.
Besides, they also accompany tourists not just for meals and outings within Goa, but also abroad, reveals a report which has been assessing the prevalence and dimensions of sex trafficking involving women and children belonging to the Lamani tribe.
The report is prepared by the energy and resources institute for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
This is the first study conducted on Lamanis in Goa to ascertain their role and involvement in activities related to commercial sex especially in the realm of catering to the tourism sector in the state.
The survey was conducted across Goa and Karnataka. In Goa, eight villages in the Bardez and Pernem talukas were selected, as these areas are regarded as ‘hot spots’ for several types of commercial sexual exploitation.
The report notes that job opportunities created on account of tourism have been one of the pull factors attracting Lamanis into Goa, as most of them come from the underdeveloped arid regions of Karnataka ,where making a living from agriculture is very difficult.
They engage in tourismrelated work as hawkers for the sale of handicrafts, garments, fruits and rendering of services like body massages and tattooing in the tourist belt of Goa, it has been explained.
Though Lamanis don’t work in massage parlours, they do provide massages to sunbathing tourists and also provide similar services at the popular flea market in Anjuna where they sell garments and handicrafts.
However, the percentage of Lamanis involved in massage service is small compared to their involvement in other tourism-related activities, the report states.
The report looks into ‘out migration’ to Goa especially in the tourism sector that has contributed to the much needed economic mobility of the 15, 000 to 20,000-odd Lamanis in the tourism sector.
However, fierce competition and lack of unity amongst them, makes this tribe further vulnerable as traffickers.
The study is also well aware of the power equations
between the Lamanis and the police as well as between the Lamanis and the locals. While this makes them ‘soft targets’, there is not enough evidence to show that Lamanis are involved in sexual exploitation as there are almost no police records that link Lamanis to sexual exploitation in Goa, the report states.
Further, because the traffickers are most often close relatives or husbands, the activity is concealed. The report has also stated that awareness of the legal consequences of sex trafficking should be spread to stem the demand for the trade in the state.

2008 May 23 Times Of India Goa